ITA Airways enters Canada with Toronto - Rome nonstop flight
ITA Airways has made its debut in the Canadian market with the launch of its new nonstop connection between Toronto and Rome. The inaugural flight took off on May 10th from Toronto Lester B. Pearson International Airport at 4:40 pm.
Ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the launch of the new intercontinental route
To celebrate the launch of the new intercontinental route, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at the departure gate of Terminal 1 in Toronto Airport in the presence of Emiliana Limosani, Chief Commercial Officer ITA Airways and CEO of Volare, Luca Zelioli, Consul General of Italy, Ivana Jelinic, CEO of the Italian National Tourist Board ENIT, Gianluca Caramanna, Member of Italian Parliament and Advisor to the Minister of Tourism, Kurush Minocher, Executive Director, Customer Experience and Airline Relations, GTAA, Vincent Crisanti, Councillor, City of Toronto, Pierfrancesco Carino, VP International Sales ITA Airways and Massimo Allegri, Regional Manager Americas ITA Airways.
“The launch of ITA Airways’ flights between Canada and Italy comes in response to the significant demand for travel between the two nations, driven in part by the substantial Italian-Canadian population,” stated Emiliana Limosani, Chief Commercial Officer ITA Airways and CEO of Volare. “With our direct flight, we plan to transport to up to 2 million of Italian-Canadian passengers who travel between Italy and Canada annually. Toronto, in particular, serves as a pivotal gateway for our airline, facilitating not only point-to-point travel but also connections to various destinations within both countries, thereby catering to both leisure and business travelers,” added the CCO. “This underscores ITA Airways’ commitment to delivering optimal travel solutions to our clients. The new route has already garnered impressive results in terms of bookings, with over 30,000 passengers booked between May and September.”
“The inauguration marks another milestone for bilateral relations between Canada and Italy, partners and allies,” said Luca Zelioli, Consul General of Italy. “The new flight will increase opportunities for tourists to and from Italy; business and cultural exchanges will as well greatly profit from this additional connection. ITA Airways is bringing closer two great countries and two great cities, Toronto and Rome”.
“This inaugural flight represents an exciting and eagerly anticipated addition in filling a much-needed gap,” said Vincent Crisanti, Councillor, City of Toronto. “ITA Airways is addressing a longstanding void in the travel market, strengthening our economic and cultural ties with Italy that will pave the way for enhanced collaboration between the City of Toronto and Rome, Italy.”
“We know demand for travel between Toronto and Rome is strong,” said Khalil Lamrabet, Chief Commercial Officer and interim Chief Operations Officer, Greater Toronto Airports Authority. “Last year more than 50,000 passengers flew indirect to Rome from Toronto, which is why ITA Airways’ new service from Toronto Pearson is a welcome addition and one we are excited to see take-off today.”
“An important link that allows us to strengthen our collaboration with a strategic market. Canada is one of the countries with the highest presence of Italians abroad in the world, and therefore has a weight in the development of return tourism. The new ITA flight Toronto – Rome therefore represents a further step in the development of tourism in Italy, offering a unique opportunity to increase and diversify tourist flows to our country. Thanks to direct flights to new destinations, we will be able to welcome an increasingly diverse and international audience and promote our rich cultural, food and wine and landscape offer effectively and on a global scale. This new air service not only facilitates access to Italian territory, but also contributes to strengthening our competitive position in the international tourism scene, positioning Italy as a destination of first choice for travelers from all over the world,” said Ivana Jelinic, CEO of ENIT.
The new Toronto – Rome Fiumicino flight is operating six weekly frequencies, with daily flights from June to September and five weekly roundtrip flights in October. In May, the schedule includes departure from Toronto at 4:40 pm and arrival in Rome Fiumicino at 7:15 am (local time). Return from Rome Fiumicino is at 10:15 am (local time) with landing in Toronto at 2:05 pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, plus Wednesday from June.
The inaugural flight was operated with the new Airbus A330-900 aircraft, which features the most recent breakthroughs in aviation technology. To ensure an exceptional travel experience, the A330-900 offers a three-class configuration with 30 seats in Business Class, which are fully reclinable to a full flat bed, 24 seats in Premium Economy Class and 237 seats in Economy Class including 36 seats dedicated to Comfort Economy – all promising a comfortable and enjoyable journey to our passengers.
The opening of the new Toronto – Rome flight represents an important product for the Company, as it increases connections to and from North America, the first market for ITA Airways after Italy. On 7 April, the new direct Rome Fiumicino – Chicago flight was also inaugurated and with the new North American routes launched in Summer 2024, the number of destinations that ITA Airways operates in the USA and Canada rises to 8.
On 2 June 2024 the direct Rome Fiumicino – Riyad direct flight will be inaugurated, followed by Accra, Dakar, Kuwait City and Jeddah for a total of 57 destinations operated in Summer 2024, of which 16 domestic, 26 international and 15 intercontinental. In addition, in the summer peak, the Company will fly to 11 additional seasonal destinations, selected from the most popular Mediterranean tourist destinations, including Greece, Spain, Croatia and the Italian islands, reachable with direct flights from Rome Fiumicino and Milan Linate.
ITA Airways started its operations on 15th October 2021 with a fleet of 52 aircraft. At the heart of the Company’s strategy is its ambition to be an ambassador of Made in Italy by offering personalized services and ensuring a completely Italian in-flight experience at every stage of the journey. This goal is achieved thanks to important partnerships with renowned Italian brands, such as Brunello Cucinelli, who designed the uniforms of the crew and ground staff, Walter De Silva, who created the interiors of ITA Airways’ new aircraft, and starred Italian chefs, who are signing the on-board gastronomic offerings. One of the Company’s strategic pillars is also its commitment to sustainability, achieved through a continuous fleet renewal with technologically advanced and efficient aircraft.
Tickets for all the new flights can be purchased through the ITA Airways sales channels, on the official ita-airways.com website and via the Company’s Customer Center, travel agencies and airport ticket offices.
AirlinePros International represents ITA Airways in the USA and Canada. Press release published as received.
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